A player who makes no secret of his ambitions to move elsewhere while simultaneously giving every appearance of being perfectly content where he is, Eden Hazard will be the subject of one more bid from Real Madrid before the European transfer window shuts at the end of the month. Hazard has already said he won’t be going anywhere this season, while Real’s advances for his Chelsea team-mate Marcos Alonso are also likely to be rebuffed.

Should he stay or should he go now? That’s the question Manchester United fans are asking about Anthony Martial, who is reported to have performed “a stunning U-turn on his Manchester United future”. Despite his agent’s insistence that his client wanted to leave Old Trafford, it’s being reported that Martial has decided to stay and fight for his place under José Mourinho, who the Star say is hell bent on getting rid of a player he seems to have found guilty of gross insubordination earlier this summer. With so many pundits of a mind that Mourinho is currently orchestrating his own exit from Old Trafford, Martial may well have decided to sit tight and wait to see what happens next.

Transfer window 2018 – every summer deal from Europe's top five leagues

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Claudio Bravo’s potentially season-ending injury means Manchester City are being linked with experienced back-up goalkeepers, but may have to wait until the January window before they can sign one. The Chilean ruptured his achilles during training on Monday, leaving Pep Guardiola with local lad Daniel Grimshaw as the only other goalkeeper in his first-team squad. The 20-year-old City fan has yet to make a senior appearance for the club but will find himself promoted to the bench and just one torn hamstring or stray boot to the face of Ederson from making his City debut.

Guardiola could recall Montenegro U-21 international Aro Muric from his loan spell at NAC Breda, and speculation also abounds that he may try to get Barcelona reserve goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen in on an emergency loan. Reports from Spain suggest this may not happen as Cillessen is tired of life on the bench.

Having been linked with loan moves to Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, Everton winger Yannick Bolasie is leaning towards a spell in the Midlands after holding talks with both clubs. His Everton team-mate Joe Williams is in even more popular demand, with Bolton Wanderers, Bristol City, Hull and Birmingham all hitching their skirts in the young midfielder’s direction.

With the ink on his new deal with West Ham barely dry, Reece Oxford could be sent on another season-long loan. Manuel Pellegrini had originally intended to keep the 19-year-old in his squad, but has apparently changed his mind and decided to ship him out elsewhere and it seems there’s no shortage of interest from assorted clubs in Germany, Spain and France. With Oxford also capable of doing a job in central midfield, an obvious problem area for West Ham on the evidence of their two Premier League excursions thus far, one can’t help but wonder why Pellegrini is unable to find a role for him.

Meanwhile in Newcastle, the Chronicle reports that Rafael Benítez had consecutive deals to bring Lille left-back Hamza Mendyl and PSG counterpart Stanley N’Soki teed up, only for both to fall through for various reasons. Mendyl couldn’t get a work permit, while N’Soki rejected the Spaniard’s advances and decided to stay in Paris.